A family was left heartbroken after a gunman shot and killed a father of four who was working as a security guard at a dollar store in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, according to relatives and police.
At around 1:38 p.m., police were called to Family Dollar, 5410 W. Chicago Ave., where a man had been shot. According to authorities, a 43-year-old man was approached by a suspect who opened fire. The victim, identified by family as Loyce Wright, was struck multiple times and later died at the hospital.
Shanice Wright, one of Loyce Wright's daughters, said he was the greatest father, adding that her heart hurts so bad.
"...He never let us forget how much he loved us, and I love my father immensely, and I wish there were tighter gun laws so tragic things like this won’t continue to happen," she told NBC Chicago in a text.
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Jeremy Richardson, a childhood friend of Loyce Wright's, said he couldn't believe what happened.
"...And I’m holding back my tears right now. I need to see this for my own eyes," Richardson said. "He was a good friend, lift weights, cheerful, love his kids, love his family. I cannot imagine something like this."
Richardson urges whoever shot and killed his friend to come forward, and he's confident they will get caught.
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"When the streets talk, they gonna talk and this person ain't gonna hide forever. You just murdered a good friend of everybodys," he said. "This is so sad, you have to come to a Family Dollar just to shoot. For what?"
NBC Chicago spoke to several nearby employees and frequent customers who shared in their grief.
Family Dollar issued the following statement Saturday afternoon:
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at one of our Family Dollar stores in Chicago on Friday. We are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the crime. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further comment will be offered at this time."
As of late Friday, no arrests had been made.
The shooting remained under investigation by detectives.
